At Least 87 Killed in Militant Attack in Nigeria

A villager speaks standing next to the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima (C), during Shettima's visit to Benisheik, on September 19, 2013, after a violent attack by Boko Haram Islamists kills at least 87 people.

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A villager speaks standing next to the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima (C), during Shettima's visit to Benisheik, on September 19, 2013, after a violent attack by Boko Haram Islamists kills at least 87 people.

The insurgents, disguised in military uniforms, burned scores of homes and buildings during the onslaught late Tuesday.

Saidu Yakuba of the Environmental Protection Agency in Borno state said Thursday 87 bodies had been recovered so far and officials were still searching for more dead. Another officer of the agency said 143 bodies had been recovered.

Officials said Boko Haram militants set up checkpoints and gunned down civilians trying to flee to safety.

The group says it is fighting to impose a strict form of Islamic law on Nigeria's Muslim-majority north. The group has been blamed for thousands of deaths since launching an uprising against the government in 2009.

Borno is one of three northeastern states where President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency and deployed additional troops in May to fight Boko Haram. Rights groups have criticized the military for heavy-handed operations they say have led to hundreds more deaths.

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by: Godwin from: Nigeria

September 20, 2013 5:45 AM

How can there be a state of emergency in place and boko haram still kills hundreds of innocent civilians in one single attack? It means the military, the police, and the joint task force are as useless as non-existent. The other way round, it means collaboration of some bad eggs within the forces who pretend to be security operatives while giving intelligence breaks to the militants. In the areas where this kind of stupid negligence happens, the president should stand up to his duties and not just fire the leaders, including the AIG, CP and DPOs under whose nose this dastardly was allowed to occur, but also prosecute them for felony..In another sense, this goes to buttress the allegation that these operatives, rather than concentrate on their duties of securing the places, turn round to engage in illicit activities like extortion and rape of women. Otherwise there is nothing preventing them from finding out the trouble as soon as it started.

This extent of killing did not happen silently, nor did it take place in just a few minutes. How about the smoke and uproar from the affected places? The important question here is, where were those sent to enforce the state of emergency that no report of a clash with the hoodlums was reported? Or was it those entrusted with the task that turned round and carried out the mayhem? There must be an insider deal here, and the local chiefs, the so-called critics or rights groups must be in one way or another connected with the boko haram sustenance. This is a catastrophic failure of all the security departments, the local governments, the states and the federal government in the country who should be forced to resign so that other people who understand the job at stake and are determined to solve it will come in and take rein, to save the country.

by: John from: Benin

September 20, 2013 4:28 AM

It is not our concern if the Northern's kill them self all. They are the Boko Hamram and they are killing their brothers so nothing we have to do with this afire.

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